13 year old on the metro

[Anonymous]

We live by the Friendship Heights metro, and my 13 year old would like to do an activity in Alexandria. I'm fine with him riding there after school, but not sure whether I'll want him/her to take the metro home after dark or if I need to drive and pick up.

Would you let your 13 year old be dropped off at the King Street metro (so no need to walk there), change trains and then walk home from Friendship Heights after dark? If not, until what time? (e.g. 7 pm. yes, midnight no?) Would it make a difference if someone met him/her at the FH metro and walked him home from there? Would gender make a difference in your decision?

[Anonymous]

no way

[Anonymous]

No way in heck I would.

[Anonymous]

Yes on the way there. NO WAY going home.

I think I might be able to be convinced if you met him at Metro Center, but not a chance otherwise. Actually, not even then until he/she is older and more experienced. Trains are too empty coming into the city once rush hour is over.

I don't know if gender would make a difference, but I am certain that a 13 year old boy can't do this.

Alexandria is very far away. What will you do if there's track work?

[Anonymous]

I was harassed many times on Metro, older than he is. If you're not worried about that, and you're not worried that he could be stranded at the train change, and he has a cell phone, AND you pick him up from the station, then maybe. MAYBE. But I'd bet there's another family doing the same activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes on the way there. NO WAY going home.

I think I might be able to be convinced if you met him at Metro Center, but not a chance otherwise. Actually, not even then until he/she is older and more experienced. Trains are too empty coming into the city once rush hour is over.

I don't know if gender would make a difference, but I am certain that a 13 year old boy can't do this.

Alexandria is very far away. What will you do if there's track work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes on the way there. NO WAY going home.

I think I might be able to be convinced if you met him at Metro Center, but not a chance otherwise. Actually, not even then until he/she is older and more experienced. Trains are too empty coming into the city once rush hour is over.

I don't know if gender would make a difference, but I am certain that a 13 year old boy can't do this.

Alexandria is very far away. What will you do if there's track work?

OP here, Sorry about the previous post with the quote and no comment.

Meeting is a good idea. It would be Gallery Place, since King Stree is yellow line.

If there was track work, and it was planned I'd just drive that day and pick up. If it was a surprise and he realized before he got on the train, one could call from the station. If he didn't realize on time, then I think they announce it on the website so I'd know what was going on. I should probably figure that out.

For those of you saying "no way", when would you allow your kid to take the metro alone with transfers?

[Anonymous]

Wow. I'm surprised at all of these responses - NP here. How far are you from FH metro? If anything pick him up There, although that is highly unnecessary to me. Though I am also a new yorker who began riding the bus and train by myself at 10 or 11 and by 13 I was going an hour each way on two different trains.

The trains are NOT deserted after rush hour (these posters just probably don't ride enough to know). You can tell him to avoid the first and last car, which are less full. Teach him exactly how to go and hell be fine.

I cannot believe how over-sheltered children are now. How on earth do you expect them to become self-sufficient?

[Anonymous]

I'm going to be a big ol' contrarian here and say it shouldn't be such a big deal. I see kids on the metro all the time, and I frequently ride at odd hours. Maybe pick him up from the metro at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I'm surprised at all of these responses - NP here. How far are you from FH metro? If anything pick him up There, although that is highly unnecessary to me. Though I am also a new yorker who began riding the bus and train by myself at 10 or 11 and by 13 I was going an hour each way on two different trains.

The trains are NOT deserted after rush hour (these posters just probably don't ride enough to know). You can tell him to avoid the first and last car, which are less full. Teach him exactly how to go and hell be fine.

I cannot believe how over-sheltered children are now. How on earth do you expect them to become self-sufficient?

Me too. Until Etan Patz. That changed everything for my parents.

My children are younger, but I can't really imagine letting them ride the Metro by themselves. Then again, I see tons of kids getting off the Tenleytown metro each morning to go to school - I assume Deal? They must be 13 or younger?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't be comfortable with my 13 yo riding alone at night. Call me overprotective, but I just don't think my kids would have enough experience and judgement to handle this until high school. By 15 or 16 I'd be fine with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I'm surprised at all of these responses - NP here. How far are you from FH metro? If anything pick him up There, although that is highly unnecessary to me. Though I am also a new yorker who began riding the bus and train by myself at 10 or 11 and by 13 I was going an hour each way on two different trains.

The trains are NOT deserted after rush hour (these posters just probably don't ride enough to know). You can tell him to avoid the first and last car, which are less full. Teach him exactly how to go and hell be fine.

I cannot believe how over-sheltered children are now. How on earth do you expect them to become self-sufficient?

Me too. Until Etan Patz. That changed everything for my parents.

My children are younger, but I can't really imagine letting them ride the Metro by themselves. Then again, I see tons of kids getting off the Tenleytown metro each morning to go to school - I assume Deal? They must be 13 or younger?

I am the pp you quoted. I don't mean to make light of any tragedy, but etan patz was 6, and this is why you try to prepare yourself and loved ones to be smart, secure responsible citizens. We cannot avoid all danger in life. This is how I feel. I think not allowing a thirteen year old to ride the metro alone, at least before ten pm, is too overprotective. Of course that is ones parenting choice.

OP, if you choose not to let him do this, please do not explain that metro is too unsafe or that he is not old enough- you don't want him to feel it is an inherently unsafe activity.

I'm the pp you quoted. Yeah.... Terrible things happen. I don't mean to make light of any tragedy.

[Anonymous]

Without changing trains I wouldn't think twice. With the change, I'd probably still let him do it.

When my child rides the metro alone (12) he texts when getting on the train (if coming home) or when arriving at his destination (when going from home). We have done the route together and discussed various issues/possibilities.

If you think of the yellow line stops in VA - they are all really pretty benign and almost every car includes people in uniform going to/from the Pentagon at most hours.

[Anonymous]

Sorry about the repeat above; I'm on my phone and must have missed something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to be a big ol' contrarian here and say it shouldn't be such a big deal. I see kids on the metro all the time, and I frequently ride at odd hours. Maybe pick him up from the metro at night.

I agree with this. Definitely meet him at metro coming home. Also give him a cell phone that is on Verizon or Sprint so he can text you when he is leaving Alexandria and at other points coming home. (other phone companies don't work as well yet in the metro - although they are working on that) My kid rode metro pretty regularly at that age. She would text us when she changed at Metro Center so I could estimate when her train would arrive at our station and I would meet her there.